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Chapter Five
Elizabeth worked diligently in her den, papers spewed across her desk, until her cell phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Hi, what are you doing?” Holly’s cheerful voice asked.
“Reorganizing some of the client files I inherited. They’re a disaster, and I need them in order so I know what’s going on before I make contact with them this week.”
“For crying out loud, it’s the weekend. Saturday afternoon! You’re supposed to be relaxing and having some fun.”
“Like I’ve told you before, I don’t have time for fun and games right now. I just got the opportunity of a lifetime, and I don’t want to blow it. I need to be on top of my game at all times in order to prove myself to the big guys. And more importantly, my father,” Elizabeth reminded her friend.
“If you keep this up, you’re going to stress yourself out, and then what? But, no need to worry, this is where Jody and I come in. We’re not going to let that happen to you. We’re coming over later to help you finish unpacking, and then we’re going to have a couple of drinks and relax.”
“There’s nothing left to unpack, I’m done.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have fun.”
Elizabeth’s lips parted to protest, but no words escaped before the ‘click’ of Holly’s disconnect. And judging from the old familiar adamant tone her friend used, it would be of no use to call her back, her mind made up.
A couple hours later, still knee deep in client files, the sound of Holly’s new, canary yellow Camaro screaming up the street informed Elizabeth her work for the day had ended.
She stepped out onto the front walkway as her friend parked in the driveway. Both Holly and Jody climbed out of the car and fixed their eyes on the shiny new, black BMW pulling into Antonetti’s driveway. The BMW came to a halt and a tall, slim, blond-haired man slid out of the driver’s side.
“Hi there,” Holly yelled as she waved with one hand, and tossed her long, wavy blonde hair over her shoulder with the other. She batted her big brown eyes at the pretty boy with the bimmer. Elizabeth fought the urge to roll her eyes at her friend’s enticing display.
Jody waved and smiled at the man, and then she and Elizabeth watched Holly in action, as well as the man’s response to her. The woman had a way of capturing immediate and undivided attention from men with just one glance. Her beauty was beyond compare and her self-assurance was always one hundred percent intact. She made it difficult for any other woman to draw consideration from a man when she was near. It was the one thing Jody was truly envious of when it came to their friend, but Elizabeth never gave it much emphasis.
The man smiled and waved back as he approached the hedge that stood between the two driveways. Her friends approached the hedge from the opposite side.
“Hi, I’m Sam Malone. Are you the new neighbors?”
Holly tilted her head toward Jody. “Jody and I are just visiting.” She pointed at Elizabeth. “She bought the house.” Her flirty friend batted her eyelashes and extended her hand toward the man. “I’m Holly. We’re about to have a couple of drinks to celebrate Elizabeth’s purchase, would you like to join us?”
Elizabeth’s mouth fell open. She didn’t have time for this nonsense, and she certainly didn’t want any additional company, especially a man she didn’t even know. She was about to squash the idea, but wasn’t fast enough.
“I’d love to join you lovely ladies, but I have a little business to take care of first with Joe,” Sam said as he swung his gaze toward Joe’s house.
“Well, come on over when you’re done and bring your friend with you,” Holly countered as she turned and headed in the direction of Elizabeth’s front door.
They’d hardly stepped through the doorway before Elizabeth intentionally clamped her angry gaze on her flirty friend. “What in the heck were you thinking, inviting that strange man and my awful neighbor to my house for drinks?”
“For heaven’s sake, it’s not going to kill you to meet people and be social for a change. It might actually do you some good,” Holly snapped back.
“Holy crap, he’s freaking gorgeous with those piercing blue eyes. He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” Jody cut in, fanning herself with her hand.
Holly nodded. “He sucked the breath right out of me. I could hardly talk.”
Elizabeth sighed. She was stuck. She couldn’t very well go over there and un-invite them.
